PARAGRAPH, WORDS AND MEANING
TOPIC OF THE DAY –
Ousted Malaysian leader Najib Razak prevented from leaving country –
The ousted Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, has been prevented from leaving the country after appearing to attempt to take a flight to Indonesia. The country’s immigration department said in a brief statement on Saturday that Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, have “just been blacklisted from leaving the country”. The statement came after a flight schedule had shown that Najib and his wife were due to take a private jet to Jakarta at 10am from on Saturday morning. But Najib, who faces being investigated by the incoming government for allegedcorruption, never appeared and the private jet, owned by Indonesian company Premiair, remained on the tarmac at Subang airport near Kuala Lumpur. After the reports of his flight emerged on Friday night, dozens of people, accompanied by a large pack of journalists, had descended on the small airport just outside the capital in the early hours to protest his departure. Riot police were stationed outside the gate where people believed Najib would enter. After losing the election this week to the opposition, led by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, there had been concerns that Najib would try to flee the country to avoid the chance of prosecution for his role in the 1MDB scandal, which he was accused of covering up while in office. Mahathir has pledged a full independent investigation into the billions of embezzled funds and many believe this will implicate Najib. After his flight schedule was made public on Friday night, Najib tweeted that he was taking a “short break” to spend time with his family and apologised for his “shortcomings and mistakes”. “After over four decades in politics and the recent election campaign, which was regrettably personal and perhaps the most intense in Malaysian history, I will take a short break to spend time with my family whom I have not seen enough of in recent years,” Najib said in a tweet. Najib also tweeted that he hoped the “divisive period” in the country’s history would end with unity. “My Barisan Nasional colleagues and I are committed to respecting the will of the people and facilitating a smooth transfer of power. The best interests of Malaysia and its people will always be my first priority and I intend to continue serving them in whatever capacity I can,” he tweeted.
“I pray that after this divisive period, the country will unite. I apologise for any shortcomings and mistakes, and I thank you, the people, for the opportunity to lead our great nation. It has been the honour of my lifetime to serve you and Malaysia.”
WORDS AND MEANING –
1) Ousted
Meaning: Drive out or expel (someone) from a position or place.
Example: “The reformists were ousted from power”
Synonyms: Drive out, Expel.
2) Immigration
Meaning: The action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.
Example: “A barrier to control illegal immigration from Mexico”
3) Blacklisted
Meaning: A list of people, countries, etc. who are considered by a particular authority or group to be unacceptable and who should be avoided and not trusted.
Example: “Workers were blacklisted after being quoted in the newspaper”
Synonyms: Boycott, Ostracize.
4) Alleged
Meaning: Said, without proof, to have taken place or to have a specified illegal or undesirable quality.
Example: “The alleged conspirators”
Synonyms: Supposed, So-called.
5) Tarmac
Meaning: Material used for surfacing roads or other outdoor areas, consisting of broken stone mixed with tar.
Example: “The tarmac path”
6) Emerged
Meaning: Move out of or away from something and become visible.
Example: “Black ravens emerged from the fog”
Synonyms: Come out, Appear.
7) Descended
Meaning: Make an unexpected visit to.
Example: “Groups of visiting supporters descended on a local pub”
Synonyms: Come in force, Arrive in hordes.
8) Protest
Meaning: Express an objection to what someone has said or done.
Example: “Before Muriel could protest, he had filled both glasses”
Synonyms: Express opposition, Raise objections.
9) Stationed
Meaning: Put in or assign to a specified place for a particular purpose, especially a military one.
Example: “Troops were stationed in the town”
Synonyms: Put on duty, Post.
10) Flee
Meaning: Run away from (someone or something).
Example: “He was forced to flee the country”
11) Prosecution
Meaning: The institution and conducting of legal proceedings against someone in respect of a criminal charge.
Example: “The organizers are facing prosecution for noise nuisance”
12) Scandal
Meaning: An action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.
Example: “A bribery scandal involving one of his key supporters”
Synonyms: Outrageous wrongdoing, Outrageous behaviour.
13) Pledged
Meaning: Commit (a person or organization) by a solemn promise.
Example: “The government pledged itself to deal with environmental problems”
14) Embezzled
Meaning: Steal or misappropriate (money placed in one’s trust or belonging to the organization for which one works).
Example: “She had embezzled £5,600,000 in company funds”
Synonyms: Steal, Rob.
15) Implicate
Meaning: Show (someone) to be involved in a crime.
Example: “He implicated his government in the murders of three judges”
Synonyms: Incriminate, Compromise.
16) Apologised
Meaning: Express regret for something that one has done wrong.
Example: “I must apologize for disturbing you like this”
Synonyms: Say sorry, Express regret.
17) Regrettably
Meaning: Unfortunately (used to express apology for or sadness at something).
Example: “Regrettably, last night’s audience was a meagre one”
18) Shortcomings
Meaning: A fault or failure to meet a certain standard, typically in a person’s character, a plan, or a system.
Example: “He discussed the shortcomings of his wife”
Synonyms: Defect, Fault.
